Brief
description of Biotechnology related activities in which the University
is engaged area :

(1)
M.Sc. Biotechnology Teaching Programme started in 1995 with the approval
and financial support of DBT, Govt. of India. The main goal of this
programme is to develop manpower in the emerging multidisciplinary
subject of Biotechnology.

(4)
The research activities related to biotechnology : Exploitation of extremophiles
for industrial enzymes; application of biocatalysis for fruit and
vegetable processing and chemical production; biofertilizer for horticulture
crops and forest trees of hill region; immunodiagnosis of infectious diseases;
bioprocessing of horticulture and forestry wastes; molecular biology of
plasmids of thermophiles; biodegradation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons.

Major
Fields of Research in Biotechnology include :

1.
Fermentation Technology

2.
Enzyme Technology

3.
Molecular Biology

4.
Immunotechnology and Immunodiagnosis

5.
Environmental Biotechnology.

Bioinformatics
is part of the curriculum of M.Sc. and Ph. D. programme in Biotechnology.
Thus, setting up a Sub-DIC at Himachal Pradesh University at Shimla has
proved highly beneficial to students and faculty members in procuring most
recent information related to the emerging fields of research and to strengthen
programmes in Biotechnology. Since bioinformatics has become an integral
part of teaching and research programmes in Biotechnology, the training
of M.Sc. and Ph. D. students has become feasible with the establishment
of a Sub-DIC. The Sub-DIC at Himachal Pradesh University will help in providing
training to students to develop requisite trained manpower as per need
of the present-day Bio-industries, R&D Institutions and Universities.